What El Rufai is proposing is not rocket science -increase electricity tariffs to attract private investors to come in and revamp the moribund PHCN. No private investors will commit their money into any unprofitable venture.

As per fuel subsidy; his position is similar to that of many Nigerians; phase out the subsidy gradually to cushion the sudden effect on regular Joe who requires petrol for everything. Truly, Nigeria govt should get out of commercial business, all these parastatals breed is corruption.

For those comparing the two products: apples and oranges, two different products. [size=18pt]One is a natural occurring resource while the other is a generated resource. Nigeria produces oil and does not generate enough electricity to begin with. How can a nation subsidize what it does not produce enough of?[/size]

[size=18pt]Petrol can subsidized it if the govt can get its act together by removing excessive wastage. Electricity on the other hand has to be financed through private initiatives, and the only way to make it attractive to investors is to raise tariffs enough to cover costs and leave room for profit[/size]. I am not sure about 400 % though.

You succeeded in arguing for and against Elrufai with respect to this discussion, suggesting a state of double speak (hypocrisy), with some amusing vibes as well .

Elrufai proposal is = correct for the moribund PHCN = correct for the moribund refineries = correct for subsidy removal

Power generation utilizes heavy machinery to harness our natural resource = same with crude oil exploration and refining till they get to their final consumer

If bad subsidies have ruined the market for PMS, I have alternatives. I can buy from the black market for slightly higher than I'd like (say 20% or 30%), or use diesel.

At worst my cost of fuel is going up by some manageable percentage. . . sucks, but not a deal breaker.

If bad subsidies ruin the market for electricity, you are screwed. Your alternative is basically buying your own generator. . . which is basically paying 3X or 4X what your competitors in other countries will pay.

If bad subsidies have ruined the market for PMS, I have alternatives. I can buy from the black market for slightly higher than I'd like (say 20% or 30%), or use diesel.

At worst my cost of fuel is going up by some manageable percentage. . . sucks, but not a deal breaker.

If bad subsidies ruin the market for electricity, you are screwed. Your alternative is basically buying your own generator. . . which is basically paying 3X or 4X what your competitors in other countries will pay.

Nobody will sell you black market electricity in a bottle or can.

You also succeeded in arguing for and against your self. Whats the diff whether the alternative is in a can/bottle or in a generator?

If bad subsidies have ruined the market for PMS, I have alternatives. I can buy from the black market for slightly higher than I'd like (say 20% or 30%), or use diesel.

At worst my cost of fuel is going up by some manageable percentage. . . sucks, but not a deal breaker.

If bad subsidies ruin the market for electricity, you are screwed. Your alternative is basically buying your own generator. . . which is basically paying 3X or 4X what your competitors in other countries will pay.

Nobody will sell you black market electricity in a bottle or can.

Both sectors are moribund

Both sectors are under the government though PHCN is passing through some process to be privatized

Both sectors are supposed to be running optimally considering the resources at hand

Both sectors have seen billions plunged into them without tangible results seen

Both sectors have endemic corruption as the reason to their rut, since it is managed by the government.

Both sectors are keys to economic growth.

Both sectors enjoy subsidies because what we pay as electricity bills is way cheaper than what should have been.

Both sector [/b]is in dire need of private investment and cash inflow to optimally harness the potential that have being laid to waste.

When Elrufai gave his suggestion to the NERC, [b]both sectors were doing very badly

If we have similarities between both sectors, facing similar conditions and with a similar approach to addressing the challenges.

Elrufai current advocacy against the fuel subsidy is therefore, a double speak/ hypocrisy

^^bro, main problem is that people don't listen, once you are not their guy, they switched off as soon as you start talking, even is the guy was telling them there is danger in on their way. the guy made very good point and he is in support of deregulation that is in planned and implemented in structured and transparent manner.

There’s no question that electricity tariff has to be raised and I wouldn’t doubt that the rate should be about 300-400% of what it currently is.

With electricity, we don’t have any real inherent advantage right off the bat for getting it cheaper than the rest of the world. The only thing that will give us a major advantage in the long run is the abundance of natural gas that we have.

However, how are you going to get the natural gas to the power stations that need it to generate electricity? The cheapest way over the long haul is to use pipes but that will require billions of dollars in investment.

To get electricity 24/7 in Nigeria, you need:1. New and modern power plants to increase production capacity2. Fuel delivered to power the turbine-power plants (all that solar and wind stuff will be way too costly)3. More efficient transmissions lines that connects power stations to cities4. Modern transformers to step up/down the voltage5. More efficient distribution lines within the cities6. Modern meters to monitor power usage

Where will the tens of billions of dollars that will be needed come from?

BUT the government cannot just completely abandon the people to the whim of private companies. They will need a regulating agency that work with the private companies to determine the electricity tariff.

Unlike GSM, one cannot switch to different electricity carriers (based on the current plan) if the price of your provider is too high or you’re unhappy with the service provided. You are pretty much stuck with whoever wins the power distribution license in your area. As such, the government needs a regulating agency.

El Rufai is not saying subsidies must stay forever and ever, until Christ returns.

He is saying that he wants certain conditions and benchmarks attached to them being removed.

Certain conditions including the fixing of refineries and buildiing of trust before prices can be hiked but argues that electricity tarriffs shd be hiked even without building trust or enlightening the people so that investors can come in to build the (refineries) power plants. How else are people going to break it down for you?

^^bro, main problem is that people don't listen, once you are not their guy, they switched off as soon as you start talking, even is the guy was telling them there is danger in on their way. the guy made very good point and he is in support of deregulation that is in planned and implemented in structured and transparent manner.

, Afterall supporting an unstructured and rushed deregulation of the electricty sector, which is the crux of the hypocritical accusation here

Did Elrufai provide certain conditions and benchmarks to be put in place when he suggested a whooping 400% increase in electricity tariff to attract the necessary investors ?

He made no comment whatsoever about conditions and benchmarks, to my knowledge.

However, the quotes from him in the article represent a goal, not a specific plan to actualize that goal.

Or are you saying that his suggestion of the increase was the plan:

1. immediate increase2. no conditions, no benchmarks

Is that how you all are interpreting the quote in the OP?

That is an interesting way to read the sentence.

Kindly tell us how you knew the timeframe was immediate?

The way you all read and interpret things, let me never say "I like chicken" around you. Otherwise you'll interpret this to mean that:1) I hate beef2) I hate pork3) I'm hungry for chicken right now4) I'd like the chicken roasted5) I'd like Star beer with the chicken

Certain conditions including the fixing of refineries and buildiing of trust before prices can be hiked but argues that electricity tarriffs shd be hiked even without building trust or enlightening the people so that investors can come in to build the (refineries) power plants. How else are people going to break it down for you?

When did he say that those things shouldn't be done?

Kindly provide us with a quote from El Rufai where he advocated for IMMEDIATE tariff increase, with no conditions or strings attached.

Kindly provide us with a quote from El Rufai where he advocated for IMMEDIATE tariff increase, with no conditions or strings attached.

I challenge anyone reading here to provide such a quote.

It does'nt really matter if you don't understand the clear and categorical statement he made. What matters is that the NERC boss understood that El Rufai was saying that he shd 'be bold' and 'immediately' increase the tariff which was why the report noted as follows:

"However, Amadi appeared to differ from el-Rufai’s approach to tariff increase as he explained that there was need to build legitimacy for the process through enlightenment"

Everyone will concede that he made no specific mention of any timeline or plan for how to achieve his 400% increase.

Muami seems to believe that he wanted an immediate increase, with no conditions attached.

As evidence for this, he doesn't supply any words directly from El Rufai's mouth.

Instead, all we get is this:

However, Amadi appeared to differ from el-Rufai’s approach to tariff increase as he explained that there was need to build legitimacy for the process through enlightenment.

He lamented the “tragedy in Africa that we don't bring leaders back to reflect on their experiences. So they litter the landscape”.Amadi stressed the need not to discard “our best”, which he said informed the decision to get el-Rufai to speak on the topic, “Leadership and Change Management.”

Notice no direct quote from Amadi on the topic. Instead we get the newspaper's opinion of how Amadi's approach is different.

So it is on the basis of this single bolded sentence written by the no doubt worthy Patrick Ugeh of Thisday Newspaper upon which we are to conclude that El Rufai is a hypocrite.

Not anything he said directly.

Not any quotes from him.

Not even a direct quote from a third party.

But instead from the sentence in bold, we are to conclude that El Rufai wanted an IMMEDIATE increase in the electricity tariff, with absolutely ZERO conditions attached.

If you all choose to interpret his words in that way, there is nothing else really I can say.

If you choose to judge what a man's policy is for achieving a goal from that single sentence, what should probably be written up in a 10+ page policy paper of some sort, that is certainly your prerogative.

But hopefully it is clear why at least a few (including yours truly) would not reason in this manner.

It's unfortunate they right statements are coming from the wrong quarters nowadays. i must confess that our tarrif is cheap, and Nigerian dont even mind 300% increase really. What they want is stable Electricity. Even if they are from a Nuclear powered sites!

Depends on what the current tariff rate is. I don't think most Nigerians will consume government supplied electricity if its too expensive or unaffordable. They will simply shift over to a cheaper substitute, which is their generators

In my own opinion I see is as a retrospective comment, only saying that PDP should also increase electricity tariff and see what the outcome will be. I think he wants the PDP government to get into more troubles so to speak add to the one on ground right now. No normal human will even do that.

El-Rufai has no moral grounds to criticise GEJ's approach to subsidy removal. He rendered many families homeless in Abuja in the name of sticking to the Masterplan. - i supported him then. I also support GEJ's radical approach even if many Nigerians (including myself) will feel the pain. Both the power and oil sectors must be deregulated with immediate effect! Its up to us, the general public to fight corruption. Channel the protests to the Local Govt 1st, cos 90% of them dont hav a blueprint. Our state governors and House of assembly members, Senators, Reps, Executive in that order. (By the way, did any of u 'sort' while in school? If yes, you are guilty of the corruption as well)

Even the labour leaders know that 'emergency comrades' like El Rufai are just merely pursuiing their own agenda.

According to the Vice-President of the NLC, Comrade Issa Aremu:"

"There are also some forces who are not in government, who have different professions and they want to have a different agenda. I don't want to mention names because now we have emergency comrades. Don't you know what we call emergency comrades? Those who used to be in government and even oppressed workers. They are now identifying with us. I don't want to mention names but you know them".